20 years

Industry experience

Steel mesh wiping paper is a core consumable in SMT (Surface Mount Technology) production lines, primarily used to clean the mesh openings of printed steel mesh to prevent solder paste residue from causing component placement defects. The key selection criteria include compatibility with production line speed and solder paste type, while also balancing cleaning efficiency, solvent resistance, and low dust characteristics. Specific considerations can be approached from the following dimensions:

1. Clarify Core Requirements: Match SMT Production Line Conditions

The printing speed, solder paste type, and stencil thickness vary significantly across different production lines, which is the prerequisite for selection

Production line speed

High-speed production line (printing speed ≥ 10,000 dots/hour): Priority is given to high-toughness, non-fracturable wiping paper to prevent paper damage and screen mesh blockage during wiping.

Low-speed / small to medium batch production lines: Focus on cost-effectiveness and opt for wiping paper with moderate toughness.

Solder paste type

Regular solder paste (lead-free / leaded): Moderate requirements for solvent resistance, which can be met with ordinary composite wiping paper.

High-temperature solder paste / Special solder paste: Use wiping paper resistant to strong solvents to prevent dissolution and shedding upon contact with alcohol or IPA (isopropyl alcohol).

stencil thickness

Fine-pitch steel mesh (thickness ≤0.12mm): Select wiping paper with fine fibers and low dust to avoid fiber residue causing short circuits.

Thick steel mesh (thickness ≥ 0.15mm): Prioritize cleaning efficiency by selecting wiping paper with slightly coarser fibers and strong oil absorption.

2. Essential Core Performance Metrics

Material and Structure: Determine Cleaning Effectiveness and Durability  

The material of steel mesh wiping paper directly affects its performance. Common types and suitable scenarios are as follows:

Wood pulp + polyester composite material: offers the best cost-performance ratio, balancing water absorption, oil absorption, and flexibility. Resistant to mild solvents and suitable for over 80% of conventional SMT production lines.

Pure polyester fiber material: extremely high toughness, resistant to strong solvents (can be in prolonged contact with IPA), no shedding, suitable for fine-pitch stencil and high-temperature solder paste production lines. The drawback is its relatively high cost.

Pure wood pulp material: excellent water absorption but poor toughness, not resistant to solvents, prone to shedding fibers, suitable only for low-speed and non-precision production lines, not recommended for high-precision placement.

Weight and Thickness: Balancing Cleaning Efficiency and Cost

The grammage is typically selected between 80-120g/㎡: a lower grammage results in thinner paper that is prone to damage, while a higher grammage makes the paper too hard, leading to poor adhesion to the steel mesh surface and inadequate cleaning.

Recommended thickness: 0.15-0.3mm. Excessive thickness increases wiping resistance and reduces production line speed; insufficient thickness results in inadequate dirt absorption capacity.

Oil and Water Absorption Rate: Ensuring Single Cleaning Effect  Steel mesh wiping paper must simultaneously absorb solder paste and cleaning solvent (IPA). It is recommended to select products with an oil absorption rate ≥8 times and a water absorption rate ≥10 times. Wiping paper with strong liquid absorption capabilities can remove solder paste residue from the mesh holes in a single wipe, reducing wiping frequency and improving production line efficiency.

Low dust and fiber shedding rate: Avoid secondary contamination. This is a key metric for high-precision production lines. High-quality steel mesh cleaning paper will be labeled with **"low dust" and "fiber shedding rate ≤0.01%"**. When purchasing, you can request a test report from the manufacturer or perform a simple test: gently wipe the surface of the paper with a tissue, and if no obvious fiber shedding occurs, it is qualified.

Solvent resistance: For cleaning solutions involving IPA + water mixtures on production lines, only wipes labeled "IPA-resistant" should be selected. Test method: Soak the wipe in IPA for 5 minutes; pass if no dissolution, separation, or linting occurs.

3. Focus on Specifications and Compatibility

The width of the wiping paper must match or be slightly narrower than the width of the stencil (with an error tolerance ≤5mm). Common specifications include 350mm, 400mm, 500mm, etc., to avoid cleaning dead zones due to size mismatches.

The roll format is suitable for equipment steel mesh wiping paper, which is mostly supplied in rolls. It is necessary to confirm whether the paper core inner diameter and roll length match the wiping machine on the production line. Common paper core inner diameters include 76mm and 152mm, with typical roll lengths of 200m or 300m. Longer roll lengths can reduce the frequency of paper changes and improve production line efficiency.

4. Brand and Cost-Performance Selection

Imported brands: Suitable for high-precision, high-speed production lines, such as 3M, Kimberly-Clark, and DuPont. These products offer strong stability and low dust levels but come at a higher cost.

Domestic brands: High cost performance, such as Kelingwei, Xinweike, and Baige, whose composite material wiping paper can meet the needs of most conventional production lines, with stable quality and prices only 1/2 to 2/3 of imported brands.

Avoid pitfalls: Do not opt for low-cost products without brand names or test reports, as these items often have loose fibers and severe shedding, which can lead to poor patch adhesion and ultimately increase rework costs.

5. Small-batch trial: Verify actual effectiveness

Before purchasing, it is recommended to try a small roll first, focusing on verifying three key points:

Installation and operation: No paper jams or breaks during wiping, with tight adhesion to the stencil surface.

Cleaning effect: No stenciled paste residue remains in the stencil holes after wiping, and no short circuits or cold solder joints occur on the PCB.